


City of Stars

by disaster_sapphic



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: ..okay fine a lot, Aged-Up Character(s), Alador Blight and Odalia Blight Being Assholes, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Banter, Bisexual Disaster Luz Noceda, Character Study, Ed and Em are actors, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Gay Disaster Amity Blight, Happy Ending, Inspired by La La Land (2016), Light Angst, Lumity-centric, Luz is a musician and Amity is a film producer, Mutual Pining, Slow Dancing, Somewhat, Strangers to Lovers, couldn't help myself, fast burn, i...might be projecting, it's therapeutic let me be, just a bit, kind of, no beta we die like men, rating changed to teen for swearing, they're shit parents, we love and appreciate playful banter in this household, will be adding tags as they become relevant and as i think of them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:53:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28746501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disaster_sapphic/pseuds/disaster_sapphic
Summary: Just one thing everybody wants.Luz and Amity lead very different careers in the same city, and hit very different roadblocks.But a couple chance encounters might change them both for the better....aLa La Landinspired fic, but with much less angst and much more happiness, because I think we all need some more happy wlw stories in our lives am i right?please bear in mind I'm a college student, so updates will be irregular
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 22
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

Ah, yes, the serene ambience of rush hour traffic.

Backed up highway, loud radios. The setting made Amity feel like she was in the beginning scene of a rom-com. She thinks she probably would’ve found it comedic, had it not been for-

“-IT’S ANOTHER DAY OF SUUUUNN!”  
“~ooooooohhhhhh....~”

...Look, she loves her siblings. She really does. But she wouldn’t reject literally any offer for a blunt object to hit them over the head with. 

They were on the way to a wrap party for the film they had just finished working on. Despite her parents’ insistence that she would’ve been so much better as the CEO of their business, she ended up following her siblings’ advice and became a producer while they acted. More often than not, the three were a package deal, and almost always ended up working on the same films. 

“...Aaaaww, look, mittens is brooding again!” Emira quipped.

“Aaaawww, sorry we stuck you with driver duty, mittens!” Edric’s tone was teasing. That combined with the nickname made Amity take a brief moment to fantasize about whacking him over the head with a baseball bat before responding.

She just sighed. “Will you two _ever_ stop calling me that?” Edric responded first.

“Maybe one day…” 

“Guess you’ll just have to stick with us to find out!”

Amity groaned.

Emira’s tone softened slightly. “C’mon, lighten up mittens. I know you don’t usually go to these, but it won’t hurt to try! Maybe you’ll have some fun. Who knows, you might even meet someone…” She wiggled her eyebrows, leaning over from her spot in the passenger’s seat to face Amity.

“I will make you move to the backseat.”

-

Luckily, they managed to get to the party without collateral damage.

Amity turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car, smoothing out the skirt of her work dress. A sleeveless, form fitting black dress that reached her knees paired with a solid pink suit jacket. 

Emira, on the other hand, opted to change into a yellow, off-the-shoulder A-line dress. Both she and Amity wore tights underneath their dresses to combat the chill of the December air.

And as for Edric, well... no one could say that his velvet floral suit didn’t fit his personality. 

(In actuality, the two sisters admired that he was able to pull the look off, but they weren’t about to say anything - teasing him was more fun anyways).

They entered, and immediately Amity wanted to curl up onto the floor and disappear into the void. 

It was crowded, and VERY loud - there were a ton of people gathered by a pool table, and they were literally screaming at something that had happened. She was surprised they hadn’t been shut down for a noise disturbance yet.

Nonetheless, she tried her best to enjoy the party, for her siblings’ sake. She made small talk with a few of the other technical staff, and just got a water for herself, knowing she’d be the designated driver. Honestly, she prefers it that way. Her tolerance is much too low, and she’d prefer to not end up blackout drunk and jump onto the nearest surface to start singing along with… whatever music may have been playing.

Not that that ever happened before.

....she cringed at the memory, forever ingrained in her mind only because of the video taken by her god-awful siblings.

To her surprise, though, the twins approached her just a couple hours after they had arrived.

Emira was the one to pitch an idea to her. “Ed and I are getting kinda bored.”

“Yeah, everyone is just playing pool. And there’s, like, an ACTUAL pool outside, but they just want to be boring, I guess.” Ed rambled in confirmation.

“...so, would you want to grab some dinner?”

Amity was not expecting this. She suspected that they felt bad for dragging her here, but hey, it was a free way out of this hellhole. Really, she was grateful that they were willing to step away from the party to spend some more time with her. Despite being siblings and working together, their jobs are demanding enough that they don’t get as much bonding time as any of them would like.

(...not that she’d admit that even if she was held at gunpoint.)

She smiled warmly at them, stepping up from the stiff barstool she had retreated to.

“Only if one of you pays.”

\-----

“...and remember, Miss Noceda, to stick to the approved list for tonight. We want to spread the holiday spirit!”

Luz tugged at her tie as she gave her shorter, pig-faced boss a nonchalant nod. “Yes, Ted. I remember.” She held back her remarks about the new boss, not wanting to lose her job.

She didn’t really need the extra money right now. Her band was doing great, and their new holiday album sold very well, giving them a lot of breathing room financially.

But, as her mom and Eda had told her, “You can never be too careful.”

Actually, more like just her mom. Eda had just ruffled Luz’s hair with an affectionate “You do you, kid.”

As much as Luz missed her old boss, Willow (who had also been a close friend since childhood), she knew that an extra salary was a good thing to have.

So she bit back her ideas about how the guests probably wouldn’t mind a change of pace from the same 15 holiday songs playing on repeat in every public place and took her place at the piano bench situated in the corner of the small restaurant. 

For a little while, she does exactly as she was instructed, and she even gets tips from several sweet customers, many of whom gave her an appreciative smile. It was moments like this that motivated her through the lull of repetitive up-tempo melodies.

Of course, her joy just can’t last, as Ted approaches the tip jar a few songs in and takes out a sizable chunk, only leaving some coins. She looks at him questioningly, and he just scoffs. “Don’t worry, I’ll include part of it in your next paycheck.”

It took every ounce of motivation in her to not jump from her seat and tell off this money hoarder who had become her boss. She didn’t want to cause a scene.

But, hey... he never did say anything about shenanigans.

\----

After ordering their food and drinks (Ed and Em had opted for wine, while Amity - as the universally appointed designated driver - ordered a mocktail), they took a few minutes to enjoy the ambience of the hole-in-the-wall restaurant they had chosen.

It was decently sized, with brick walls and simple paintings accentuated by string lights that gave the establishment a cozy atmosphere. There was also a piano where someone had been playing holiday songs across from their table, but Amity ignored it. 

She’s no Scrooge, but hearing the same 15 songs played everywhere gets kind of annoying after a while.

However, that changed when there was a longer pause between songs than there was before.

A slow, soft melody began to play. A distinct contrast from the previous cheery, upbeat songs.

Most of the restaurant looked up from their plates at the sudden change.

Amity was absolutely taken in by the music, the soft humming of the piano keys making her feel inexplicably warm as the world around her seemed to fade away.

She looked at the pianist. A Latina woman with shoulder length brown hair, clad in a violet pantsuit and suit jacket with wedge heels. Her expression was focused, and her eyes were partially closed, as if she had this memorized.

She couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful pianist as she continued to play, the tune gradually becoming more intense and ending with a dramatic crescendo.

As quickly as it had faded, she had jumped back to reality with the sound of some applause from the tables and the far less pleasant sight of a short old man approaching the piano with hurried steps and a scrunched up face red enough to combat a tomato.

Amity watched as the musician was scolded by her boss.

_That music was really beautiful. Why is he so upset?_

The woman, however, had simply glared and said something back to him with a scowl. 

Amity could overhear the angry “You’re fired!” he nearly shouted in response. 

She was about to get up to compliment (and hopefully defend) this extremely gorgeous pianist. She stood up partially, but hesitated for a moment.

_She probably doesn’t want to be bothered. She looks pretty upset.. a compliment might help her feel better though. Maybe I can give her a tip with it too..._

But by the time she had made up her mind to do so, the woman had already grabbed a coat off the rack and stormed out.

This left Amity partially standing in the booth, gaping at the door the pianist had just exited from.

She realized her position, and began to sit back down, trying to reel in the overwhelming flurry of thoughts and feelings coursing through her.

She didn’t have much time to do so since she was met with the view of her twin siblings grinning maniacally at her.

_Seriously, how have I -not- murdered them yet? I should be awarded for putting up with this._

“You should see yourself right now, mittens.”

“You’re redder than that pig over there was.”

“Was? No, Ed, look at him, he still is.”

Emira was correct. The man - a complete and utter fool, Amity thought - was still fuming as he worked to get an old radio set working.

The sight quickly reminded her of the scene that had unfolded near their booth, and her thoughts drifted back to the pianist.

“She was beautiful…” Amity muttered, not realizing she had said it out loud until Ed sighed dreamily, and the twins continued their annoying back and forths.

“Aaaww, mittens!” Ed responded.

“You were so close to talking to her-”

“-but it looked like you panicked for a moment there, huh?”

Amity went red, but the dialogue was (thankfully) interrupted by their food arriving.

The rest of their meal went by in peace, with some teasing from her siblings about everything.

All the way until she curled up into bed that night, she couldn’t get her mind off of this woman. How beautiful she looked. The way her expression relaxed, with her lips slightly parted. she seemed to lose herself in her music that she was so clearly passionate about.  
Not to mention afterwards, when she had stood up to her boss and left with her head held high. 

Amity knew that love at first sight wasn’t real, and she knew she wasn’t in love yet. But somehow, she just felt drawn to this woman...who never even saw her, or knew that she existed.

She sighed, wishing that she had been quick enough to talk to her.

_Maybe I’ll find her again?_

_Probably not._

Nevertheless, she went to sleep that night with the woman on her mind. As her thoughts began to blur, she indulged in a comfortable fantasy.

_...I hope I’ll see her again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there we go!  
> This chapter was pretty much worldbuilding, but I absolutely wanted them to meet in the beginning of the fic. leaves a lot more time for the pining :)  
> And I know this first chap is very amity-centric, but don’t worry, I plan on writing from both of their perspectives more as we keep going  
> As it says in the summary, I'm a student and life gets in the way so seriously do **not** expect regular updates lol  
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments, I like the validation and knowing that people are actually enjoying the story :)  
> until next time!


	2. Chapter 2

“What can I get for you?”

No matter how hard she tried to mask it, Amity’s tone was exasperated.

She liked having the extra job at the café. With how unstable a job in the film industry can be, having it makes her feel a little steadier. Also since she shares an apartment with the twins. Living in LA is not cheap, so splitting the rent and costs was the best option. Having some extra money on hand never hurt. Plus, it kept her busy between films. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t tiring.

“...I come here every day. I’m a regular.”

Dear god, case in point. Time to put on the customer-service apology smile.

“I’m sorry, I only work here occasionally, so I didn’t know. But I’d be happy to take your order.”

The man scoffed. Luckily, though, that was all the trouble he gave her. 

“Non-fat latte with caramel drizzle. Large.”

“On it. Your total is $5.15.”

He got his drink and left, as many other customers did the same through the morning rush.

She was definitely distracted for a few days after she had gone to dinner only to be completely enamored with someone she'd never even met. But by some miracle, after a week had past, Amity had managed to get her mind off of the event enough so that she could function. She silently thanked whatever gods allowed her to do so.

The bell attached to the café's entrance rang just as the morning rush was starting to clear up. She finished clearing her station of the clutter that had developed before taking a moment to see who came up to the register.

_...Oh you’ve gotta be fucking kidding-_

\----

The perks of being in a band were how flexible the hours were. That is to say, it was entirely up to them.

Luz was so glad she started working with a couple of the other people she went to college with. She, Viney and Jerbo had met through their shared interests in music. Viney mostly sang, while Luz and Jerbo played an assortment of instruments. The two focused on studying music in college, but Viney instead minored in it, and was now in the band to save up for grad school to become a vet tech. They had become really close after meeting in multiple places on campus to practice, and just play for fun, exploring as many music styles as they could. Plus, being in a band with friends meant she didn’t have to dress formally every day - she could just wear jeans and an Azura t-shirt. It's a really comfy shirt, and who cares if the book series was _intended_ to be for kids when it’s so much fun to read? 

She played some music through her headphones while she got ready to head to the studio, but she scowled when her thoughts drifted to last week when she got fired.

Eh, she was doing okay. If she really needs it, she can pick up a job at a store nearby or something, but with the current funds from their album and the projected influx of money to come from their next concert she’s good to go for the next month or so.

It’s not even that she cared about the tips. She was just pissed by how greedy Ted is - and the fact that it only took a few days working with him to figure that out - that she couldn’t help but call him out.

_Ha, it was his loss anyways!_

She smiled triumphantly before grabbing her jacket and keys and locking up her apartment door.

By this time it was about mid-December. It was a cool morning out, with a crisp wind, but not too cold. It felt perfect, so she decided to walk to the studio instead of driving (good thing it wasn’t too far).

As she took in the sights she normally breezed by, she noticed a small café by the supermarket. She also wondered how she never really noticed it before, but figured that it was just because it was unassuming.

_Oh, I should surprise them with some coffee!_

She stepped into the cafe. She noted it was relatively simple and modern, and it looked like people were starting to clear out, leaving it empty save for a few people sitting at tables crouched over their laptops.

_Another perk of having flexible hours - not having to worry (as much) about morning rushes._

She approached the cash register. It was currently being managed by a barista with long brown hair dyed green at the tips. She was cleaning something up, and looked tired. Luz couldn’t help but feel bad - working any sort of retail or food job here (or anywhere) is an absolute pain.

...totally not just because she thought this barista was kind of cute, with the way her face was scrunched up in focus. Not at all. Definitely not.

When the barista had looked up, she seemed to freeze for a moment, which concerned Luz slightly.

“Hey, uh... everything okay?”

_Why do I have to be so awkward? What gods made me like this?_

The woman in front of her perked up at the question, and responded quickly.

“Um, yeah, I’m okay. Sorry about that...I just... uh…”

Luz waited, partially because she wasn’t sure what to say herself. She noticed the name on her tag - Amity. It was a pretty name, she thought.

“I...I think I saw you play at a restaurant last week. That last piece was really beautiful.”

She blinked, trying to remember if she’d seen this woman there. Probably not, she was pretty upset that night. Nonetheless, the compliment made her happy.

“Oh, thanks so much! Yeah, my boss was kind of a jerk, he fired me after that because I didn’t-” She took a breath in and changed her stature and tone to imitate that of her former boss’s. “ ahem- pLaY fRoM thE aPProVEd LIST-” 

The woman covered her mouth and let out a laugh at the antics, which made Luz smile.

_Her laugh is beautiful._

“-but I’m glad you enjoyed it anyways!”

“Yeah, it was a really nice change of pace. I always get kind of sick of everyone playing the same songs everywhere once November 1st hits.”

“RIGHT??? Exactly, thank you!” Luz replies, gesturing animatedly.

The woman laughs again, before asking her something with a notably light and happy tone. “Anyways, what can I get you?”

“Oh! Right!”

\-----

Amity couldn’t believe it.

Not only did she actually see this woman (Luz, as she had stated for the order) again, but they’re actually hitting it off. Wow.

And she also noticed that she was wearing an Azura t-shirt too.

When she went up to give Luz the carrier of finished drinks, she couldn’t help but mention it.

“Hey, um.. I like your shirt.”

Luz’s eyes widened and her expression brightened as if you told her she had won the lottery.

“Oh my gosh, _you like Azura? **And**_ you’re cute? I’m so glad I walked today! We should totally find some time to talk more about it!” She reached into her bag for something.

This was it. She was done for. 

Her gaze darted off to the side, but her brain was too busy short-circuiting to really notice that. “Oh, uh, yeah! Yeah, that- that sounds awesome! When, uh… when would you-” 

She was cut off by Luz holding out a small slip of paper with some digits scrawled on it.

“I’m going to a party tomorrow with my band, and we’re just going to be chilling, maybe play a few songs. Would you want to come? I can text you the details and we can talk about Azura too!”

Somewhere in Amity’s brain, in the shred that was somehow functioning through her funk, she couldn’t help but wonder how the hell this was working out so conveniently for her. The cafe was still practically empty, she and this girl hit it off _very_ quickly, she was inviting her to a party, got her number **and** she even liked Azura. It’s so convenient it’s almost suspicious.

But that shred of her brain was overpowered by the Gay Panic Center, so she blinked before reaching out and taking the number.

“YES- uh, sorry...yes, that sounds really nice.” Her voice softened, and she smiled. “I’ll text you soon.”

Luz smiled widely as she waved before taking the carrier with one hand and giving Amity a two-fingered salute with the other, winking. 

“Awesome! See ya later Amity!”

She couldn't even process that she hadn't introduced herself to Luz yet.

_oh my god she winked at me... hOLY CRAP SHE WINKED AT ME-_

\-------

_I can't believe I actually did that. oh my god. I actually winked at her. why did you DO THAT YOU ARE **NOT** SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO FLIRT-_

Luz was mortified, afraid she had overstepped with that action from earlier. Her thoughts raced as she tried to scrape together enough (functioning) braincells to make sure she didn't get hit by a car on the way over.

She was grateful for the slight breeze, which encouraged her to take a breath and reel her emotions in.

_Amity accepted you phone number! She seemed really nice and kept the conversation going, so there's no way she would hate me for a small wink, right?_

She hoped.

_But...oh my god I did that. I actually talked to a cute girl.  
...  
Wow._

That realization left her smiling when she approached the small building and opened the door with her free hand. She closed the door and walked a little farther in, where Viney and Jerbo were chatting as they lounged on the beanbags that the pianist had insisted they get for the main room. She walked up to them, drink carrier in hand, with the wide smile still on her face. 

“Hey guys, I got you coffee!”

The memory of Amity's laughter took over, and made her feel warm all over again.

_I’m so lucky._

She got lost in her thoughts, and didn’t notice the way Viney and Jerbo grinned at each other, getting a suspicion as to what left Luz so in the clouds.

“Okay, thanks for the coffee, but what happened?” Jerbo called her out as he popped the lid off of one.

“Yeah, you’re normally upbeat, but you look a little in the clouds. Did you…” She trailed off, raising her eyebrows.

Luz got the implication, and blushed brightly, but figured there was no point in hiding it.

“The barista was really cute… we talked, and she seems so put together, but also relaxed, and she even likes Azura! I wanted to talk to her more, so I offered that she could come to the party we’re playing at…” She stopped, realizing she probably should’ve asked beforehand about inviting someone else, but the two simply smiled.

“How could we refuse someone new? The more the merrier, and especially when it’ll get our little star a date!” Viney grinned through her words, which made Luz elated, before she realized the word choice.

“Wait, she’s not-she’s not, uh… it’s not a-”

“How about we get rehearsal started, huh?” Jerbo cut in, but his expression clearly gave away the side he took.

_That traitor!_

But she couldn’t be mad for long, as they had started playing, and Luz let all of her joy pour out into the songs. 

Especially not when she checked her phone during a break to see a text from a new number.

~

_12:42pm Hi Luz, this is Amity, the barista from the café near the market._  
_12:43pm So...you’ve read Azura too?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...all i have to say is please forgive my inability to format text conversations. they will not be commonplace in this fic


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn’t easy to kill 3 hours of free time, but she had done it, Amity thought as she looked through her clothes to get ready for the party.

Today was one of the few days she actually had completely off. Normally she preferred keeping busy - she just has a hard time relaxing - but today was a little different.

She...may or may not have needed time to prepare for today, mentally and physically. She was so excited by the prospect of seeing Luz again that she didn’t really think this through. Parties are _not_ her usual scene at all, and adding on the fact that she would probably only know one person attending it did not help.

_Oh well. It’ll be worth it._

The two had stayed up a bit late on a call the night before. After talking about Azura, they had gotten to know each other a little better - Luz talked about the band, and asked Amity about her own career, which led them to talk more about their work. Eventually, Luz gave her the details for the party, though she was (somewhat infuriatingly) vague when Amity had asked what the dress code would be.

_11:46pm oh it’s casual, so just wear something comfortable!  
11:47pm but maybe wear something colorful  
like brightly colored  
11:48pm **Sure, but why?**  
11:49pm don’t worry about it, you’ll see ;)_

Amity had taken a moment to panic over the winky face Luz had sent before the confusion set in, but she figured she’d go with it anyways.

_Something colorful..._

She tended to prefer more muted or dark colors, so it took a bit of rifling through a drawer before finding something.

_Oh!_

She pulled out a pair of pink leggings. These should work!

Eventually, she settled on pairing them with a short gray skirt and a black shirt with ¾ sleeves that were loose at her shoulders. 

It was warmer today, but she grabbed a cardigan on the way out just in case it cooled off later.

She left her room and turned the corner, finding Ed and Em on the couch that sat across from their small TV. It was on, but the two didn’t seem to be watching it. They were talking in hushed whispers. 

Amity would have chalked this up to them just scheming and being themselves, if not for the looks on their faces - much more serious than she usually saw them. 

It compelled her to check on them.

“Is everything okay?” She asked, bringing attention to her presence. Ed and Em jumped, clearly startled. Ed took a minute to recover, while Em quickly changed her expression.

“Hey mittens! We were just talking about this show we started watching.” 

“Yeah, don’t worry about us. Have fun on your daaaateeee~” Ed dragged out as Em winked at her.

She was still suspicious, but decided to let it go. She was too busy regretting telling them about everything that had happened anyways.

Hey, at least being angry at them is a reprieve from her nerves.

“It’s not a date!” She emphasizes before giving them a wave goodbye and leaves their apartment.

-

_Oh my god._

She approached the site of the party - a backyard of a medium-sized home - and couldn’t help but laugh at the sight that greeted her.

People had been scattered around - some hanging out by a small bar and buffet set-up, some mingling around the edges of the yard, some jumping into a pool in the yard’s center.

What got her attention, though, was the band set up on a far end of the yard.

Notably, Luz. She apparently also played guitar, and her short hair was slicked back. She was wearing a short sleeve button up with vertical, multi-colored stripes tucked into cuffed gray jeans.

She was clearly into the song, jumping around as she played and harmonized with the band’s lead singer.

_Tonight I gotta cut loose, footloose  
Kick off your Sunday shoes  
Please, Louise  
Pull me up off my knees-_

The combination of the band’s coordinated outfits - with the singer wearing a neon crop top and jeans and the drummer pulling off a greaser look consisting of black jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket - and the song choice coursing through the yard brought Amity to a realization.

_So this is...like, a decades thing.  
THAT’S why she wanted me to wear something bright!_

She burst out into laughter.

\----

It was that moment that Luz had caught sight of Amity, who had fallen into a fit of laughter and was keeping her eye on the three of them. 

Of course, when the host who asked them to play a number or two mentioned that they wanted 80’s music, Luz had suggested they dress the part.

And seeing Amity’s moment of realization just confirmed that it was the right choice. Seeing her laugh made her happy, not to mention that she looked gorgeous in that outfit.

Viney started singing the next verse, and Luz mouthed along with it as she made eye contact with Amity.

_You're playing so cool  
Obeying every rule_

Amity started to dance along with the small crowd that had formed as Luz continued playing, never breaking eye contact. Deciding that she was already too far in to back out now, she sent a wink to Amity's way before continuing to mouth the lyrics in her direction.

_Dig way down in your heart  
You're burning, yearning for some  
Somebody to tell you  
That life ain't passing you by_

She was surprised when she saw Amity singing along, and that she had winked back. Luz went pink at this and she definitely panicked internally, but managed to pull off the song’s guitar riff on beat.

_I'm trying to tell you  
It will if you don't even try~_

The rest of the song went smoothly, despite the slight sense of disappointment she felt when she lost sight of Amity in the crowd.

The three were now on their break. Viney and Jerbo had already disappeared somewhere, so Luz set her guitar against their drum set as she searched the crowd.

But a tap on her shoulder interrupted her search.

Or...ended it, as she saw the exact girl she had been looking for grinning at her, eyeing her outfit.

“Oh, so you’re in a cover band, huh?” Amity asked playfully, with no real bite to it.

Oh, two can play at that game.

“What, you jealous? We only play the best of throwbacks, after all.” Luz returned the sly grin.

“Uh-huh, sure. Because _Footloose_ is the ‘best’ 80’s throwback. ” Amity nonchalantly looked off to the side, attempting to look unimpressed, but the smirk on her face betrayed that notion. Luz put a hand to her heart in mock offense.

“How _dare_ you insinuate that it’s not! It’s a classic! What, you’ve got a better one?”

“I’m just saying, _Dirty Dancing_ was a MUCH better movie.”

Luz exaggerated her betrayed expression even further in response.

“Wow, and here I thought you, as a fellow Azura fan, would be more cultured. Alas, here I am, alone in my superior taste. I don’t know how you could say something like _that_ so confidently.”

“Well, being a film producer does have its perks.”

“Oh, so you’re pulling that card now, huh?”

Amity giggled, and sent another smug smile as she raised her eyebrows. “Can you really blame me?”

Luz sighed and put on a betrayed expression, but her voice kept it’s joyful mirth.

"I've been betrayed by my own kind."

They looked at each other, and both had such wide smiles that their cheeks hurt. Any tension from before had dispeled, and Luz was so grateful for that as she was able to admire the girl in front of her without her nerves getting in the way. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of hazel, with golden specks brought out by the sunlight. She got lost in them.

_I could look at her forever. I could drop dead right now and I’d die happy._

Unfortunately, the moment was cut off by Viney calling her name.

“Come on Casanova, we’ve got another song request!”

The nickname made her blush, as she quickly said she’d be back and paced over to the makeshift stage, trying to refocus for the next song. She turned around so fast that she didn’t get to see how Amity shared the same blush.

-

The party went smoothly, as the two of them met up between songs to talk more.

Eventually, the band had packed up their setup and had it towed back to the studio. The party was starting to lose traction as people filtered out.

Luz and Amity were in the middle of a conversation about Hecate’s character arc when the sun falling lower in the horizon caught Luz’s attention. It gave her an idea.

“Hey Amity, would you want to go somewhere?”

Amity was delighted by the suggestion, if not a little surprised. The day had gone so well, and she had so much fun, so she wanted to make it last.

“Oh, uh-sure, but where would you want to go?”

“I have an idea. Did you drive here, or…?”

“No, I just walked. I don’t live far from here.”

“In that case, would you mind if I drove you?” Luz asked sheepishly, putting a hand on her neck and giving an adorably awkward smile. 

_I would literally commit homicide for you._

“Oh- I- Yes, of course you can!” Amity scolded herself for not being able to form a coherent sentence.

Luz excused herself for a moment to go tell her bandmates, Viney and Jerbo apparently, that she was leaving.

When she returned, she had a small blush adorning her cheeks. Amity brushed it off despite her hopes.

The two of them walked to Luz’s car, and they were met with a much wider view of the gorgeous sunset. The bright oranges and pinks from a few minutes earlier had started to fade to paler shades of their original forms, as the sky took on a deeper blue. Some stars were barely visible. The two admired it for a moment before Luz commented on it.

“So, not much to look at.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen better.” 

The two smiled at each other before approaching Luz’s car and driving off.

-

Luz surprised her by taking them to the Planetarium.

Neither had gotten the chance to actually see it before, but it was an ethereal experience.

Secretly, Amity was glad she got to be there with Luz, who did not make an effort to mask her excitement and awe at the sights.

Eventually, it was nearing closing, and so the two made their way outside and started walking back to the car park.

Only to be cruelly met with cold, pelting rain halfway there.

They both groaned.

“Are you serious? It was SUPPOSED to be warm tonight!” Luz exclaimed as she hugged herself, letting out a shiver. She didn’t bring a jacket - not only did it not go with the outfit, but it **was** supposed to be warm out!!

Amity took notice, and remembered the cardigan she had put on while they were in the Planetarium. 

_Am I actually considering doing this? This is so corny._

But Luz did look cold, so she took it off and reluctantly put it around Luz’s shoulders, who stopped in surprise for a moment and looked at Amity with a worried face.

“No, I don’t want you to get cold! Besides, I’m fine. I can handle a little chill!”

A breeze blew by them, which made her shiver again. Amity smirked.

“Yeah, sure, whatever you say. Just wear it.”

The warmer tone in her voice made Luz smile as she thanked Amity, tugging the cardigan tighter around her.

Amity assumed they would continue walking, but Luz suddenly grabbing her wrist and pulling her to the side defied that assumption. She let out a yelp at the sudden movement.

“Luz, what-”

“Would you want to dance?” Luz held out her hand.

In any other state of mind, Amity would have objected. It was raining, cold, and there wasn’t even any music.

How could she, though, when Luz was smiling and looking at her like she was the world?

She took Luz’s hand, and put her other hand on her shoulder as Luz’s left hand met her waist.

They both blushed at the proximity as they started to sway lightly.

Amity noticed how Luz was glowing, her soft features illuminated by the moonlight.

The sight made her breath hitch, and felt compelled to bring her even closer.

So she wrapped both of her arms around the musician, who stilled slightly in surprise but quickly returned the gesture.

Her embrace was a warm and comforting sanctuary that enveloped her in the midst of the cold rain. Luz felt exactly the same. She had even started humming a soft tune, the same one she had played that first night Amity saw her. Her voice was low, as she held Amity closer.

_Her voice is amazing._

Amity admired Luz for a moment, and couldn’t help but notice the lack of space between them. Their faces were so close. 

“Can I kiss you?” Luz whispered.

She didn’t hesitate for a second. “Please.”

Luz leaned in. Both their eyes were half lidded as they shared a moment of eye contact, before their lips met halfway.

It was better than anything either of them could have dreamed.

 _Screw the rain_ , they both thought as they separated and touched their foreheads together, admiring the other once more. They both laughed.

“Boring night, right?”

“I’ve had better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *points to the new tags*  
> ...is this pacing unrealistic? yes. the real question is: do i care? hell no. lumity fans yall have been summoned


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have recently been made aware that some people find songfics cringy? to each their own, if you don't like it that's fine, but cringe culture is dead, so let's not go making fun of people for having fun.
> 
> In regards to this fic, i don’t have songfic as a tag because i..kind of assumed the la la land tag would imply some presence of music. it's kinda frustrating when a huge chunk of a chapter is just song lyrics, and that’s not fun to write either, so only a part of this chapter is singing. BUT it is still here. i mean this **is** a la la land inspired fic after all, sooooo
> 
> all things considered i’m surprised there’s not more pfft
> 
> i assume that if you like la la land this is not a problem?? you have been warned though lol
> 
> anyways, i hope you enjoy!

Just a couple months later, things were going well. 

Luz and Amity have been dating ever since that night, and it had been amazing.

The two would always surprise each other with little gifts or new outings, and tonight was one of those nights.

They had given each other spare keys to the other’s apartment, just in case - and maybe to make those surprises just a little easier to pull off. 

That’s how Amity found herself in Luz’s apartment, cleaning up after making dinner for the two of them while waiting for Luz to come home.

She left the food in the oven - which had been turned off, but was still warm - so that it would stay warm for when she came home. 

Just as she was finishing up the last pan, her phone rang.

She checked the contact name.

Immediately, a wave of emotions washed over her - anger, sadness, even a tinge of guilt - but they were somewhat subdued by the panic that she felt at the thought of bearing a conversation with _either _of her parents. She knows that she’s an adult, and isn’t under their control, but…__

__Well. Old habits die hard._ _

__“Hello. What are you calling for?”_ _

__“Oh my, such a cold greeting. Can’t a mother call to check on her youngest?”_ _

__Amity wanted to throw her phone and let her mother just talk to the wall instead, but she decided against it._ _

__That would be unfair to the wall._ _

__“Well, I’m here now. What is it?”_ _

__“Like I said, dear, I’m calling to check on you. How have your little... _movies_ been going?”_ _

__Ugh._ _

__“Good.”_ _

__“Ah, that’s...good, dear. Now, I know you’ve made it clear that you aren’t interested in inheriting our family business-”_ _

__God, she sure hoped so._ _

__“-so I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that we’ve found someone to pass it down to.”_ _

__She... didn’t know how to feel about this._ _

__“That’s good.”_ _

__“Yes, she’s a very bright young woman, that one. She knows a good opportunity when she sees it, and she worked very hard to get to this point.”_ _

___...oh._ _ _

__She knew what Odalia was doing._ _

__It was the same she always did._ _

__**_She finished writing the final numbers on the paper, and quickly handed it to her parents looming nearby._ ** _ _

__**_She got it this time - she was sure of it._ ** _ _

__**_But her hopes were cut off by a quiet “Tsk.”_ ** _ _

__**_”Come on, now, Amity. These are simple problems. You can manage it - try again.”_ ** _ _

__**_Her father’s demeaning words and strict tone struck a nerve in the five year old girl, whose lip quivered. She nodded, and erased the mistakes they had marked, scribbling some more numbers onto the crinkled worksheet to cover up the faded answers._ ** _ _

__**_She handed it to them again, clasping her hands into a ball, hoping that she’d finally gotten it down._ ** _ _

__**_To her sadness, her mother sighed._ ** _ _

__**_“Oh, it’s alright, Amity. I should have known that only so much talent could’ve been passed down to you. Academic talent has always come so naturally to your siblings, after all. Perhaps it’s just...not for you.”_ ** _ _

__**_Her mother’s tone was scathingly sweet, and it made her want to cry._ ** _ _

__**_“No, I can! Just-let me try again!” She reached to grab the paper her mother was holding._ ** _ _

__**_The woman yanked it away, levelling her gaze with a stone look._ ** _ _

__**_“Now, don’t be immature, dear. I highly doubt you’ll be able to beat your siblings’ score, but you can try again tomorrow.” She stated cooly with a slight wave of her hand._ ** _ _

__**_As much as she wanted to object, the looks on her parent’s faces changed her mind quickly._ ** _ _

__**_So she complied._ ** _ _

__“...got her degrees from the same university as you, I believe. She’s going on to use them well.”_ _

__As her focus reshifted, Amity willed her tears away._ _

__She was better than this, she’s grown past this, she’s _over_ this, she-_ _

__“I’ve seen her work. It seems to come naturally to her. Your siblings had that talent too, but they’ve...strayed.” She ended the sentence with an icy tone, thinly veiled as innocent curiosity._ _

__It brought her back into her memories, and made her cringe._ _

__“Oh well, perhaps that means it’s better this way. You all can pursue your little interests without any worry from us now.”_ _

__Amity’s throat felt dry. She didn’t know what she wanted to say, but even if she did...with her mother’s voice making her feel like a child all over again...she wasn’t sure she could. She clutched the fabric of her shirt in a death grip._ _

__A brief pause. A tense silence._ _

__Some clicking noises flowed from the receiver._ _

__“Oh, it seems I have to go. Business meeting, you know we’re very busy.”_ _

___...will she… **ever** stop…?_ _ _

__“It was nice talking to you again, dear. Have a good night.”_ _

__Three small beeps._ _

__The line was dead._ _

__…._ _

__A few minutes later, her girlfriend came home to a strange sight._ _

__The small, round table that sat just around the corner from her kitchen was neatly set for two, with a couple scented candles burning in the center, with a delicious smell wafting through the air._ _

__Had it not been for the lack of any other presence in the room, she would’ve been ecstatic._ _

__Knowing the likely culprit, she called out the name quietly._ _

__“Amity?”_ _

__An almost dead silence stretched over the next few seconds._ _

__Then, footsteps down the hall preceded Amity turning the corner to see Luz approaching her._ _

__Her expression quickly changed to one with a big smile._ _

__“Surprise!” The producer grinned sheepishly, with a wave to the table. “Sorry I wasn’t there when you came in, I had to use the bathroom.”_ _

__Luz wanted to accept the explanation, and was about to._ _

__Until she saw Amity bring her left arm up to grasp at her right elbow, rubbing it nervously._ _

__A dead giveaway._ _

__“Amity, what’s wrong?” Her voice was soft, a gentle and warm tone._ _

__It brought all of the shoved down tears back to the surface, as Amity’s hazel eyes were soon painted by a glossy sheen._ _

__Luz’s own eyes widened seeing this. She moved forward to gently place a supportive hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder, and cupped her cheek with the other, bringing up a thumb to wipe away the tears that had fallen._ _

__In this position, Luz got a better look at Amity’s expression. Her eyes were wide. Shining with unshed tears, she looked absolutely shocked by Luz’s actions. As if she wasn’t expecting her to be so affectionate._ _

__In that moment, Luz could tell her guard was broken down. The mask was finally off, and Amity let herself be weak. Her body was shaking lightly, like she was holding back sobs._ _

__“Oh, cariña…”_ _

__The saddened words were all it took for Amity to completely break down into sobs, burying her face into Luz’s shoulder as she brought her arms around the Latina tightly._ _

__Luz held her up, rubbing soothing circles onto her girlfriend’s back._ _

__She glanced at the girl wrapped around her, and saw just how miserable she looked. Her hair was out of its neat styling, looking akin to a bird’s nest, and her body was trembling with every sob._ _

__The sight made Luz want to hold her closer and drop kick whoever made her feel this way._ _

__But she settled for the former, wrapping an arm around Amity’s waist and giving a reassuring squeeze, which helped keep the girl upright._ _

__Her cries soon died down. The couple stood there for a moment, savoring each other’s presence, before Luz slowly guided Amity over to her couch._ _

__Now sitting, their position had adjusted slightly, each girl having an arm around the other while their free hands were intertwined._ _

__They sat like this for a moment, heads bumped together, before Amity spoke up._ _

__“I’m sorry you had to deal with that, Luz. And the food is...probably cold now, I-”_ _

__She sounded so defeated, Luz couldn’t help but speak up._ _

__“Amity, don’t be sorry for crying. What..what happened?”_ _

__The question was followed by a small sigh, and an answer that made her blood boil._ _

__“My... mother called. She told me that they were passing the business down to someone new, and…”_ _

__Amity cut herself off as she thought back to the conversation, trying to piece together some words that could coherently describe the painful memories that resurfaced from the call._ _

__“She just...reminded me how I wasn’t good enough.”_ _

__But from the word ‘mother’, Luz had realized what left her girlfriend in such a state.  
It wasn’t the first time this had come up - not necessarily between her and Amity, but from the warning the twins had given her when they had talked for the first time. They told her that their parents weren’t good people, and how they always pitted the siblings against each other. They didn’t go into much other depth, leaving that line of conversation at a “Just so you know.”_ _

__So she wanted to lift her girlfriend back up._ _

__“Amity, you _are_ good enough. You’re _way_ more than just ‘good enough’, you’re AMAZING! You’re a badass producer, you’re smart and savvy and really hot but also REALLY adorable at the same time-”_ _

__With her words having caught up to her, her voice stumbled as she blushed a deep red._ _

__Which made Amity laugh, a pink tint to her cheeks as well._ _

__“Thank you, Luz.”_ _

__Another moment passed in each other’s arms, before Luz’s eyes shifted and got an idea._ _

__She practically bounded over to her piano, nearly dragging Amity along with her, who stumbled in surprise._ _

But Luz started playing, and Amity caught on.

_City of stars  
Are you shining just for me?  
City of stars  
There's so much that I can't see _

She smiled at Amity warmly as she continued singing, nudging her head.

The unspoken question was answered when Amity sat down next to her on the piano bench.

_Who knows?  
I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you_

As she sang those lines, she scooted closer and bumped their shoulders together, making them both laugh before Luz raised her eyebrows at Amity. She rolled her eyes, but went along and started singing.

_City of stars  
Just one thing everybody wants  
There in the bars  
And through the smokescreen of the crowded restaurants  
It's love  
Yes, all we're looking for is love from someone else_

Luz loved hearing her sing, her singing voice having such a natural softness and sweetness to it that Luz couldn't get enough of.

Amity glanced over at Luz playing, who also spared a look next to her. They grinned, barely holding back from laughing before alternating the next few lines.

_A rush  
A glance  
A touch  
A dance_

They scooted closer to each other as they sang the next verse together.

_To look in somebody's eyes  
To light up the skies  
To open the world and send them reeling  
A voice that says, I'll be here  
And you'll be alright_

Those lyrics almost made Amity choke up again. She thought about her girlfriend, and how she was a shining light that had taken her hand and guided her through a stormy night.

_I don't care if I know  
Just where I will go  
'Cause all that I need's this crazy feeling  
A rat-tat-tat on my heart…_

With Amity, Luz felt like she could do anything. Because she knew that no matter what, she would always be there for her. Whether she would be lifted up while in the slumps or gently brought back down to earth whenever she got too far up in the clouds, she knew her girlfriend would run to the ends of the earth for her. 

The thought sent warm flurries through her stomach and chest, and the warmth leaked into her next lines, as she paused to look directly at Amity.

_Think I want it to stay._  
_City of stars_  
_Are you shining just for me?_

_City of stars…_

She ended the music with a flare, as she brought Amity into a tight embrace, who quickly wrapped her arms around Luz’s waist in return - both of them feeling safer in the embrace than they ever had.

_You’ve never shined so brightly._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't mind me, just digging myself out of the cornfields i'm stuck in because of how corny this chapter is
> 
> do i regret it? not at all, this was so fun to write and i hope it was fun to read too :)


	5. Chapter 5

The couple was on another date, this time they visited a small park between their apartment complexes.

Amity had just gotten a position on a new film, so they wanted to have a small date before her long hours would start up again.

As they walked on a trail with their arms looped together, they encountered an open field with a small concert setup, and some up-tempo pop music sounding through the otherwise quiet park.

A decent crowd had gathered. 

“Ooohh, their music is good.” Luz piped up.

But Amity stood in place for a minute, looking at the band members, until she realized, “I went to college with her.”

Luz looked over at her girlfriend, somewhat surprised. “Really? Which one?”

“The bassist, off to the right. Silver hair, red skirt?”

Luz looked where Amity was pointing. “Oh! Small world, huh?” She grinned. 

Amity laughed slightly. “Yeah, seems like it.” 

“Well, guess that just means Jerbo, Viney and I will have to keep up. They’re talented.”

Amity gripped her girlfriend’s arm tighter. “Babe, I’ve heard your music. You play all _kinds_ of music, there’s no way they could compete with your expertise.” She smiled coyly and winked.

Luz let out a laugh, and tightened her grip in return.

“Hell yeah!”

\----

Yeah, they shouldn’t have spoken so soon.

A couple weeks later, and things had...not been going great for Luz. The new band, led by Skara as Amity introduced, picked up faster than expected. So now her own band has been struggling. They had taken many extra gigs in the hopes of beating out the competition, but they were starting to get tired of it.

The couple sat at Luz’s table after they had both gotten off work for the day, what was supposed to be a coffee date having quickly turned sour when Amity picked up on Luz’s dim expressions.

“What’s wrong?” She reached a comforting hand up to her shoulder.

But Luz just wanted to get it out. Rip the band-aid off, so to speak. 

“It’s the band. We’re...we were thinking about breaking up, okay?”

The silence was deafening.

“Luz, what are you talking about? You can’t be serious-”

“ _Why_ would I joke about this?” Her expression was grim, as she looked Amity dead in the eye.

“You know that’s not what I mean, I don’t want you to give up on this band. You told me this was your dream, you’ve been working towards it since you were a kid.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not so easy for everyone to get what they want." Luz said, crossing her arms and looking off to the side.

“Again, when did I ever say that? I’m saying that you should keep working, you can get your name out there again.”

“ _Again_ -" She shot back, "-that’s not so easy for everyone to do. You, maybe.”

Amity's expression tightened in anger. “And what is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Well, at least you guys had a name that people would recognize, and you’re already out on your scene.”

“You know that doesn’t make it any easier-”

Luz’s eyebrows furrowed, sending a cutting glare.

“Doesn’t it, though?”

She gestured towards Amity's phone, which had just lit up with a notification from the film's director. Noticing this, Amity deflated slightly.

The silence that followed the retort was tense, until Luz broke it.

“...Listen, I said we _were_ thinking about breaking up. But we also explored our options.” Amity’s eyes brightened at that, which made Luz’s frown turn slightly upwards for a moment. 

“The only way we could really salvage this is…” Luz hesitated. She had wanted to wait until a better time to tell her, but she was already knee-deep. 

“If we started touring. We’d probably try and get a record label, maybe write a few new songs, and go touring to some states.”

Amity’s eyes went wide. “...How long would you plan on touring?”

“It would depend on how the record does, but we talked it over, and ideally...it’d be a couple years, at least.”

...as if the tension wasn’t already thick enough.

“Is...is that what you want?” Amity asked, even though she knew the answer.

Luz on the other hand was expecting many possible reactions to her news, but this was not one of them. The softness in Amity’s voice surprised her, which showed in her expression. Her eyes were cast downward. She didn’t want to lie.

“...yeah. It is, but I don’t want to give up on us, either.”

Amity huffed, letting out a bitter laugh. “You know as well as I do that that’s not going to happen if you go in this for the long haul.”

“Come on, we could make it work! Sure, we might both be busy, but we’ll find time to text and call!” She smiled widely and reached for Amity’s hand.

But the other girl stepped back, and crossed her arms. “With our schedules? Are you sure about that?” She spoke bitterly.

And Luz was sick of it. “So you're just going to _make me **choose?**_ Is that the game we’re playing here?”

Amity flinched back at the icy tone in Luz’s voice, but quickly retorted. “It’s not going to be fun, you know. Long distance, I mean.” She clarified. “It’s not going to be like the stories, where they’re always giggly and happy on video calls...the last thing I’d want is to tether you down when you’ve got so much out there.” Her voice lowered when she spoke those last words.

“..Is that really how you see it? Tethering me down? Amity, _I know_ it won’t be perfect, but I’m really trying to make this work for both of us! Why are you so insistent that it can’t? Don’t you _want_ it to work out?”

“Of course I do-”

“Then why won’t you just work with me here?”

“I just..." Amity didn't want to make this about her, but if she had learned anything from the troubles she'd gone through, she needed to be honest. "I don’t want to get my hopes up, okay? I’m scared that it won’t work out, and we’ll feel let down that we thought it could work at all. Long distance for _two years?_ I'm...not sure that'll work out.” 

Luz was at her wits' end. There was only so much she could take of this. She sighed, and glared at Amity.

“I’m going to go home this weekend. Visit my moms, see how they’re doing. You should...probably get going. It’s getting late anyways. Ed and Em are probably wondering where you are.”

What fight was left in Amity faded upon hearing Luz’s dejected tone, and she recoiled slightly, but sighed. “You’re probably right." She started towards the door behind Luz, but spoke up once they approached it. "...Can we talk when you get back?”

Luz didn't look in her direction. “...sure, Amity.” She held the door open for her, and it clicked shut as soon as Amity stepped out.

The auburn-haired girl felt empty through her drive home.

\---

That night, unbeknownst to the other, the two girls tossed around sleeplessly, letting silent tears drip down and stain their pillows. They both felt lonelier than usual, the radio silence that was usually filled by nightly texts burning into their minds.

It weighed their hearts down a little bit. Maybe it was foolish to hope that this could work out, but neither one could really find it in them to care through the fog of their thoughts.

They’d just dream for now.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was starting to set.

Once Luz pulled her car into the driveway of her old suburban home, it was only a matter of time before the house’s door opened up.

She got out of her car, and almost immediately a small pug bounded towards her and pawed at her leg, looking up at her.

She squealed, and couldn’t help but pick him up. “Hey, King! I missed you so much! You were a very good boy while I was gone, weren’t you?”

He let out a small _bork_ in response.

“Eh, don’t listen to that liar. He’s always been a little rascal.”

Eda picked the pug out of Luz’s arms, and set him down on the ground. He seemed surprisingly unaffected by the change in atmosphere, quickly running back to the front door to bother Camila.

Luz beamed, as she quickly wrapped her arms around Eda, not containing her excitement. “I missed you! How are you guys?”

She returned the hug awkwardly, with a few pats on her back. “We’re doing just fine, kid. We missed you too. Speaking of, why don’t you come in already?”

They walked over to the front door together, where Luz and Camila shared a tight hug in greeting before heading in.

While the two got started on that night’s dinner, Luz brought her bag up to her old room, where the view gave a comforting wave of nostalgia.

The walls were littered with band and cartoon posters, while her bed was situated in the corner of the room. Across from it, her dresser was decorated by an old record player (an heirloom), and next to it sat her collection of vinyls. Leaned up against the dresser was an old acoustic guitar.

She set her bag down, and took the guitar, strumming it gently before sitting on her bed.

She cringed as she played some chords, the lack of use causing sour notes to echo through the room.

The next few notes were similar variations, but eventually, the chords sounded more melodic.  
That was when she started improvising a tune to play. It was a little softer than she normally warmed up with. 

It took her a moment to recall the slow tune. It reminded her of that night.

_Just to prove a point, she changed up her style._

_Started slowly, with low, warm notes - just to contrast the other songs._

_She didn’t expect to get so lost in the new, warm feeling of this melody. But she did. So much so that her smooth transition to intensity as she mixed high and low notes in a faster pace was instinctual._

_Once the tune ended, she took a breath, only to realize how much quieter the restaurant was._

She got fired, but it was so worth it to see the look on his face when she called him a-

_Well. Some night, huh?_

Her train of thought led her to the week after, to when she met…

Luz sighed.

Amity was one of the best things to ever happen to her, the rock she needed in her life. She wasn’t willing to give that up yet.

But she wasn’t ready to give up her dream, either.

She stopped strumming notes, and took a good look at the old guitar.

The sight brought her back.

_The school playground was full of life, kids bustling and running around. Off in the basketball court and on the slides and swings, screams of joy and laughter echoed in the humid air._

_A young girl sat in the grass, gazing to the excitement with a longing._

_At some point, a basketball lightly hit her in the back._

_With a spark of happiness and widened eyes, she yanked her head behind her._

_“Sorry!”_

_The close by yell soon became distant as the boy who shouted turned back to the courts and tossed the ball back to his friends, all of them letting out raucous peals of laughter._

_Her shoulders fell, but she returned her sight to the object in her hands. A turquoise blue, plastic recorder._

_She brought it to her lips and blew, playing the melody they’d been taught before recess._

_She smiled._

“Mija, dinner is ready!”

The yell brought her from her memories.

-

It had gone smoothly, with small conversations about their lives and new happenstances.

When asked about how things were going, Luz hesitated. They knew she had started dating, but that was it. She wanted to be honest, but also...wasn’t ready to talk about everything yet.

“It’s...going. Things are kinda tough, but it’ll be okay.”

Despite her worries, she didn’t lie. She knew it would be.

The other two women noticed the way she looked away while answering, a dead giveaway.

“Rough patch?” Eda guessed.

Luz tensed, and her blush gave it away. It made them smile.

“You know we’re always here if you want to talk.”

“Or if you want a distraction.”

 _That_ made Luz snort.

The rest of the meal was mainly taken up by Eda’s stories about people she encountered going around as a street musician.

Honestly, it was a nice break from the plaguing troubles of her real life, so she embraced it and relaxed.

-

Just like that, the next two days flew by just the same, and Luz had to pack up to head back home.

Upon saying goodbye, she was left with a wave of affection for the two. It brought her to pull them into a group hug, that made them all laugh.

Eventually, Luz was tossing her bag in back and pulling out of the driveway.

On her drive back, punctuated by beats of contemporary music, she was unknowing of a notification that popped up on her phone.

**Hecate <3**  
2:43pm _Can we talk?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had gotten into a routine for updating, but of course it got screwed up by life. I don’t usually open up online, but no one here knows who I am irl, so I might as well explain what happened
> 
> literally the day after I posted the last chapter I ended up with a very bad migraine. Listen, be grateful you don’t have one, and _do **not**_ underestimate those fuckers. In my case, I also pinched a nerve in my neck (somehow) so I had neck aches that made my head pain worse, not to mention it affected my back - so I could never find a comfortable position to rest in. I was in so much pain I could barely function, I had actual nausea and was practically bedridden for the next few days. I ended up getting admitted to the ER because of it (not for long, but i had an IV and all lol) so I’ve been recovering ever since.  
> Luckily it wasn’t serious, just pinched a nerve badly and needed some help to get through it! I’ve fully recovered, back to my normal swing of things, and I feel so much better :)
> 
> Slight tangent but I also got assignment extensions because of this, and this is the second time i’ve had an extension in my entire life. and uh, the first time I got one was on a summary for an elective. i had only asked for my date to be pushed by one day and followed it
> 
> it’s because i don’t like even admitting that i need help, much less actually asking for said help :)) 
> 
> but hey i got a covid test last week and it came out negative, so that's comforting. ur girl does not have covid (yet) 
> 
> anyways i’m half blaming it on how i had starbucks that day and half on the fact that i posted just the night before in the first place so y’all are welcome lmao /j
> 
> for real though, i’m sorry for leaving you on that sad note last chapter (or am i?)
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed it!


	7. Chapter 7

The sound of light tapping filled an otherwise empty room. 

Amity drummed her fingers against the desk nervously, sneaking another quick glance at her phone laying beside her. Nothing.

It made her worry. The two of them definitely didn’t leave things...spectacularly, and the unresolved tension between them was permeating no matter how far away they may have been, but she couldn’t help but feel nervous at how long her text had gone unanswered. 

(She was too scared to see whether it was read, and gave herself the courtesy of not checking).

She sighed and rested back on her chair, thoughts inevitably wandering back to a few nights ago.

What she told Luz that night wasn’t a lie. As much as she loved her, she was scared that spending that much time apart would make it impossible for anything between them to work.

But...she wasn’t willing to try, either. 

She acknowledged that Luz was trying so hard to come up with a compromise, something that would work, but she was too scared of it _not_ working to consider anything long-distance.

She knew she should have - she shouldn’t have let her fear be her guide - but maybe now they wouldn’t have to worry about that.

 _Hopefully they can do this._

A quiet knock at her door surprised her.

Ed and Em were supposed to be out all day today, and she wasn’t expecting any guests. But she did have a fleeting hope as to who it may be.

As she opened the door, she realized the fates were on her side today. 

“Can I..come in?”  
-

Amity filled the two empty mugs placed on the small kitchen’s island in front of her, setting down the pot before glancing over at Luz.

“...How are your parents doing?”

“They’re okay.”

A small bout of tense silence soured the air around them, as they both took reluctant sips from their drinks.

Luz went to break it. “Listen, I-”

“I’m sorry.”

Luz was caught off guard. “What?”

Even more so when Amity set her cup down and reached for Luz’s free hand.

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I was just so confused. The last thing I wanted was for you to give up on your band, but I’m scared that this won’t work long distance. I...wasn’t sure how to feel, so I was too afraid to even consider trying-”

By now, Luz had gripped Amity’s hand a little tighter, looking off to her side. “I know. I’m scared, too. But we don’t have to give up on either of these things. We can try to make this work.”

Amity let out a small laugh. “I think we can…you know, our next film needs an original score.”

Luz raised her eyebrows, about to ask a question, but Amity continued.

“I’m not sure what kind of music you three are partial to, or how much you write, but I told my director that I...may know a few people. Maybe it could help you get your band’s name back out there, hopefully back on your feet, so you might not need to tour.” She smiled, but quickly backpedaled, realizing that Luz may not want to. “I mean, only if you’re interested-”

But it was like those words flipped a switch. Luz’s eyes brightened, and she smiled widely.

She ran around the island and practically jumped on Amity, who stumbled back as they held each other.

“Are you serious??? This is AMAZING! Amity, you’re…”

She pulled away slightly, looking her in the eyes. Amity looked so happy, Luz swore she could see stars in her eyes. 

“You’re amazing.” She breathed out, getting lost in them.

Amity blushed, choosing not to say anything out loud.

She pulled her in closer instead.

\------

“FINALLY. Okay, okay, how do I look?”

Amity glanced over from her mirror to see her girlfriend, showing off her new outfit. It was a pitch black dress, with a long, flowy skirt that was accentuated by sparkles of silver.

Okay, it wasn’t actually a skirt - they were pants flared wide enough that they looked like a skirt.

Amity knew this, but was too distracted trying to string together a coherent sentence to say anything about it.

“You look...amazing.” She couldn’t help but move closer to Luz and hold her, pressing their foreheads together.

They stayed like that for a moment, until Luz pushed her. “You’ve gotta get ready too, you know. You can always admire me later.” She grinned, making Amity laugh as she pushed her away in retaliation, walking towards her own wardrobe.

“Pfft, shut up.”

Needless to say, it got their name back out there. Amity was so happy she was right.

-

The incoherent sounds of heated conversations filled the cramped space around the two, as they tried to push their way out of the theater.

They were holding hands. Purely to avoid losing each other in the crowd. Definitely only for practical reasons.

What couldn’t be justified by practical reasons was the beeline the two made for Amity’s car after escaping the crowd of the premiere, abandoning Amity’s siblings and Luz’s friends/coworkers.

They drove down the expressway. It was rather smooth for awhile, until they foresaw a bout of traffic ahead of them.

Luz glanced over at Amity, who was driving. “Would you wanna take this exit? Get something to eat?”

Amity was eager to avoid the traffic, and she turned on her signal. “Yeah, definitely.”

Eventually, the two ending up parking at the curb of a less crowded road, paying an unbelievable amount to the parking meter. It was bad enough that they decided it was worth it to split the price.

Amity sighed. “I swear, the money I’ve spent paying for parking here could pay for a house in Hollywood.”

Luz sucked in a breath. “Yeeaahhh, this is _unbelievable._ ”

Having drained away an unfair part of their money, the two of them looked around the small assortment of shops and restaurants for a decently-priced place to stop.

While she was looking, Luz’s gaze turned to a small, dimly lit sign that initially made her eyes widen. After a moment of shock, her expression shifted to a grin as she grabbed Amity’s wrist.

The girl looked next to her, about to ask what’s up, until her eyes landed on the same sign.

They stood next to each other, turning to look into each other’s eyes. They both had the same look, giving them both the giggles.

“Shall we?” Luz held out her arm.

Amity took it without hesitation, grinning widely. “Oh, we shall.” She gestured to the sign as they pulled each other to the entrance of the unassuming restaurant.

-

The couple walked in to see a very familiar scene. Murmurs of light chatter and the cling of glasses echoed in the small space, accompanied by the drone of a piano. The lighting created by stretches of fairy lights gave it a dim, cozy feeling.

The perspective was familiar for one and unique for another, Luz not being used to being a customer here. 

As they were guided to their booth by a waiter, Luz’s old boss was tumbling past them. He didn’t notice until Amity pointed him out to Luz, who laughed in response and chose to greet him out of spite, giving him a tap on the head.

“Hey, Ted! Long time no see!” She spoke out with finger guns and a mischievous smile, making her girlfriend cover her mouth and let out a small snort.

It only got worse after Ted got visibly red and stomped away, sending both girls into a fit of laughter that they tried to keep quiet, with little success.

Luckily, it was loud enough that the other patrons didn’t pay any mind, as the couple was seated with their menus.

-  
Reluctant to separate too soon, the two kept walking after exiting. They ended up travelling past the strip of shops, eventually reaching a neighborhood. Clearly, some kind of party bust;ve bene going on, with the line of cars parked alongside the curb.

As they kept walking, the line of houses was replaced with the view of some shrubbery - it was only a few feet later when it opened up to a gorgeous view of a city beneath them.

The openness also allowed them a better view of the night sky above them, the sky’s darkness tempered by the moon’s glow and the expanse of bright stars littered across it.

The sight was breathtaking, and they stared out into it for a moment.

Amity was still taken in by the view, up until she felt a grip on her wrist.

Before she could turn to see, she was pulled into the grass, landing with a small _thump_ that made her let out a small squeal. 

Before she could say anything, Luz’s laughter rang out into the quiet. “Yes! I got you!”

The sound made Amity happy, her previous feelings shifting as she joined in the laughter, giving Luz a small shove. “Oh, shut it.” Said with a smile as she leaned against Luz, the movement bringing them to lay in the patch of grass.

They spent some time there, leaning against each other. Amity’s head resting on Luz’s shoulder, an arm laid against her waist. Luz’s arm was wrapped around Amity’s shoulders, their heads barely touching.

Their gazes shifted as they moved in closer, looking from the stars to each other’s eyes.

If you asked either of them, though?

They'd tell you the view didn’t change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shining so brightly :)
> 
> I was _going_ to make it more suspenseful before the happy ending, but alas, my heart wasn't in it. so I gave into my impulses and wrote fluff in its place
> 
> I've never had so much fun writing before, so I really hope you all enjoyed this lil fic I wrote purely out of love for this movie and its vibes.
> 
> thanks to everyone who's been sticking with it and for all of the love that helped me stick with this fic!  
> (special thanks to Insertnamehere who's commented on almost every chapter of this, your comments are so pure thank you so much)
> 
> hope you all are doing okay rn, sending all my love.


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